Lug-strap support.



w. E. JOHNSTON.

LUG STRAP SUPPORT;

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I. 1916'.

1,288,609. Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

' NTFQD STATE PATENT FFQE.

WILLIAM E. JOHNSTON, 0l? PHOENIX, ALABAMA.

LUG-STRAP SUPPORT.

Application filed March 1, 1918.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Phoenix, in the county of Lee and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lug-Strap Supports; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention., such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. p

My invention has for its principal object to provide an extremely simple and inexperisive, yet a highly eiiicient and durable lug strap support which may be applied without the use of screws driven into the picker stick, since it has been found that these screws weaken the stick and often thereof.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the support as to permit of its attachment by means of the usual heel bolt which secures the picker stick to its shoe, a portion of the support being so shaped as to take the place of the usual C-shaped washer interposed between the nut of the heel bolt and the picker stick.

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of a picker stick and the supporting foot and lug strap thereof, showing the invention applied, parts being in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper section of the device; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the lower section.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numeral 1 designates the picker stick of a loom, said stick having the usual shoe 2 and being operated by the lug strap 3. This strap is commonly supported by leather straps fastened to the picker stick by screws, but these straps are short lived and the screws weaken the picker stick materially. The present invention however does not require the passage of screws or bolts through the picker stick nor the use of clamps surf rounding the same, yet the lug strap is sufciently supported and the life of the device cause splitting Specification of Letters Patent.

Eatented Dec. 24, 1918.

Serial No. 219,880.

will be several years instead of several weeks.

The invention is formed of a lower section 4 and an upper section 5, the former being constructed of a flat metal spring while the section 5 is preferably though not necessarily cast. The lower end of the spring 4 is offset laterally to a slight extent as seen at 4 and is provided with a pair of parallel vertical flanges 6 extending laterally to straddle the lower end of the picker stick, said lower end of the spring having an opening 7 through which the usual heel bolt 8 passes. 7lhis bolt secures the picker stick to the shoe and from the drawing it will be observed that the channel shaped formation at the lower end of the spring 4 takes the place of the usual C-shaped washer which is interposed between the picker stick and the heel bolt nut 9.

Due to its offset 4', the greater part of the spring 4 is spaced outwardly from the picker stick, said spring overlapping the lower end of the bar 5 and having a suitable adjustable connection therewith so that said bar may be raised and lowered. r1`his connection is preferably formed by the provision of a vertical slot 10 in the upper end of the spring 4, vertically spaced screw holes 11 in the lower end of the bar 5, and screws 12 passing'through said slots and receivable in said openings. By suitably adjusting the bar 5 in a vertical direction, it may be made to support the 'lug strap at the required elevation` and although said bar could well be provided with other suitable strap engaging means, it is by preference equipped with integral lateral fingers 13 which are spaced apart vertically and receive the strap 3 therebetween. The inner edges of the lfingers 13 and the outer edges of the bar 5 are suitably rounded to prevent injury to the lug strap as shown.

In applying the device, the usual washer is removed from the heel bolt 8 and the old lug strap support is detached. The flanges 46 now straddle the lower end of the picker stick with the heel bolt received in the opening 7 and the nut 9 is again applied. The upper portion of the bar 5 is received in the lug strap with the fingers 13 above and below the latter and by suitably adjusting said bar through the instrumentality of the screws l2, slot 10 and screw holes 11, the lug strap is supported at probably the best results are obtained from v the several details shown and described,

the requiredposition. Tightening of the screws will hold the two sections 4 and 5 against relative movement and the section l will hold the section 5 tightly against the edge of the picker stick by spring tension.

construction, the necessity of providing separate clamp jaws and the like is obviated, and consequently itis ymuch quicker and easier to apply-'one of the present devices than the supports using-twofpart clamps.

From the foregoing, takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be obvious that although vmy invention is of extremely simple and inexpensive nature, it willbe highly efficienty and durable. f Since these details arel by preference employed,

, but within the scope yof= the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may well be made.

v Ipclaim: v

l 1. The combinationwith picker stick, its operating shoe, and the heelbolt passing through said stick from edge to edge for securing said shoe to-said stick; `of a rigid metal bar resting against the outer edge of said picker stick,-.said bar having lugstrap supporting arms at-its-upper end and threaded openings spaced apart along its length, a flatspringfcontacting with-the outer side of said bar and having ay -longitudinal slot, clamping screws passing through said slot and threaded into certain of said openings, said spring depending below said bar, being voffset inwardly into contact with said edge of the picker stick, and having an opening receiving said heel bolt, whereby tightening of said bolt will place said spring under tension to retain said bar tightly against said picker stick, and a pair of flanges formed integrally with said offset portion of the spring and straddling said picker stick on opposite sides of said heel bolt and in tight contact with the sides of said picker stick, whereby to prevent said bolt from splitting said stick and `to prevent pivoting of said spring upon said lower end ofy said spring: having an opening throughwhich said heelbolt passes, and a pair of lvertical flanges -formed'vintegrally with said lower end of said spring andafcon- `tacting snugly with the sides: of. said picker 'stick .on opposite sides of said -h eel-.-=bolt,

whereby tri-prevent saidbolt from splitting said stick `and tovpreventnpivoting of' said spring upon saidbolt.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence oftwofsubscribing.

witnesses.

.VVILI'JIAIVIl i E; JOHNSTON. Witnesses ISAAC I. Mosns,

WILIAM C. MORRIS,

Copies of this patent may beobtaned for five cents each, by addressing thev Commissioner `of Patents,

,Washingtom D. C. 

